British/English Escapists, please explain :"Taking the Piss"

[Someone Depressing]

To be overly sarcastic or passive aggressively mocking. For example, "Stop takin' the pish ya lazy **** and git back tae work, or a'll have you". At least up here, in the northern land of merryment and excessive binge-drinking. Can also mean to be a wet blanket or just being a dick.

See also to "arrest a pissed tramp", another beautiful term that my fine land has coined.

 

[DSK-]

And I thought the question would be about the origins of "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!" or something similar :/

Just wait until you hear "bollocks" used in all 1,345 different manners of speech. Your head will explode

 

[GonvilleBromhead]

Of my countries most distinguished achievements, in the arts, the sciences, and on the international stage, our one great contribution is our inventive swearing. I once came across a lorry driver who formed a perfectly coherent sentence out of one swear word, repeated in many forms. He stared at a deflated tyre, and exclaimed dejectedly "Fucking Fucker's Fucked!". My personal, current, favourite emaninated from the whispish lips of a former Sergeant Major, who, in voicing some concern about the complexity of scheme he was to partake in, declared it was as "complicated as taking a running fuck at a rolling doughnut"

 

[Nosirrah]

In Australia at least, we often call piss "beer".

I read that the other way round and imagined someone walking up to a bar in a foreign nation and asking for a piss, to the bewilderment of everyone.

 

[Ironman126]

"complicated as taking a running fuck at a rolling doughnut"

This is the single greatest phrase I have ever encountered. Truly, a god amongst men was he.

OT: As for "taking the piss," I always assumed it to mean that you're making as ass of yourself. However, I am not from the Commonwealth, I am a filthy colonial and we told the Commonwealth to sod off some centuries ago. And because of that, our swearing is boring. My entire understanding of British/Australian/Irish language nuances comes from Zero Punctuation and comedians like Jim Jefferies and Jimmy Carr. Also Dara O' Briain.

 

[Danny Dowling]

taking the piss out of shit

that's where it's from I believe.

 

[springheeljack]

It's like breaking balls except more English

 

[Evil Smurf]

"u wot m8, u taking the piss? I'll bash ya fuck'n 'ed in m8, I swear on me mum." -A common British/Australian phrase used by people to express gratitude.

 

[Thaluikhain]

"u wot m8, u taking the piss? I'll bash ya fuck'n 'ed in m8, I swear on me mum." -A common British/Australian phrase used by people to express gratitude.

You have punctuation there that isn't the word "fuck", so it's not Australian.

 

[Guffe]

Oh my fucking God I am pissing myself laughing when reading the replies to this thread xD
I am so coming back here later to see what else you crazy people have come up with

 

[Evil Smurf]

"u wot m8, u taking the piss? I'll bash ya fuck'n 'ed in m8, I swear on me mum." -A common British/Australian phrase used by people to express gratitude.

You have punctuation there that isn't the word "fuck", so it's not Australian.

Oh, fuck off

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

Generally as I've been able to decipher the meaning it goes a bit like this:

"[blank] is taking the piss." Which generally translates to making an ass out of ones self, or being intentionally self deprecating for comedic effect. But I think everyone here is a bit on the side of "hell if I know" territory on the origin. Slang can be extremely weird that way.

Then again you have something similar with: "Taking the piss out of [blank]." Which generally means insulting and/or making fun out of something/someone.

For both though it seems there are still further applications of phrases. But to use a commonwealth turn of phrase; I'll be buggered if I know them all. I've noticed that British and Australian slang is actually quite colourful and fun. Just remember somethings that are harmless in the US/Canada can come off as quite insulting in the UK/Australia/Ireland/Etc... For instance you call a little kid a cute little bugger in the US it can be seen as a bit cute, do the same in the UK and the parent might smack you. We use fanny in the US as a reference to someone's butt, in the UK for example it's a rather uncouth(or so I've been lead to believe) way of saying vagina. All these places that speak the same language yet you get to things where words start changing on you locally and you start to get lost. Like how chips to say Americans are called crisps by Brits, and what they call chips to Americans are french fries.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Just remember somethings that are harmless in the US/Canada can come off as quite insulting in the UK/Australia/Ireland/Etc...

Not so much in Australia. It might well mean something insulting, but Australians are stereotyped as swearing at each other all the time for a reason.

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

Not so much in Australia. It might well mean something insulting, but Australians are stereotyped as swearing at each other all the time for a reason.

Fair point. Some how it seems actually to be bleeding in to American vernacular to swear at people. But isn't it true that you really can only do that with people you know well and get along with? It certainly is here in the states.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Not so much in Australia. It might well mean something insulting, but Australians are stereotyped as swearing at each other all the time for a reason.

Fair point. Some how it seems actually to be bleeding in to American vernacular to swear at people. But isn't it true that you really can only do that with people you know well and get along with? It certainly is here in the states.

That would certainly help, yeah, but it's not always essential.

 

[Stu35]

While we're at it, we could also explore why being "pissed off" means being angry, but telling someone to "piss off" is telling them to go away...

Idioms are weird.

I love our glorious language, and the flexibility of our words.

I'm pissed off! (I'm Angry)
I'm pissed! (I'm drunk)
I'm taking the piss! (I'm joking)
I'll piss off now. (I'll leave now)
pissing hell! (Fucking Hell!)
I'm going for a piss. (I'm going to urinate)


There's a reason we conquered a large portion of the world (including most of good bits). This has to have contributed to it.



... and todays Captcha: "Too Salty". Apt.

 

[vallorn]

And I thought the question would be about the origins of "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!" or something similar :/

Just wait until you hear "bollocks" used in all 1,345 different manners of speech. Your head will explode

Now THAT turn of phrase is a fun one. It's from the Royal Navy where they stored cannonballs on brass dishes that were, for some reason, called 'brass monkeys'.

When the weather got too cold however the curved metal plate would warp and the balls would roll off... Yes and cannonballs rolling freely around on a ship is not very good to have.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

"Taking the piss" has two meanings.
- The first, if you take the piss out of someone, it's the same as "making fun of", having a laugh at their expense.
- The other and more common, is more less the same as saying "pushing your luck". "Taking the Mickey" or taking "the mick" are synonymous. If you're taking a few too many liberties, being rude/cheeky, etc pushing your luck, a friend would advise you to stop taking the piss.

 

[Creator002]

As an Australian:
"Taking the piss" is like "pulling my/your leg" or "are you kidding me?" It can also mean making fun of someone.

For example:
1.
"I hate puppies."
"Are you taking the piss (out of me)? They're adorable!"

2.
"You're a fuckwit."
"Can you stop calling me that, please?"
"Aww, come on. I'm just taking the piss (out of you)."

Piss can also mean alcohol. You should be able to work it out in context.
Also, if an Aussie invites you for a "piss on," don't panic. It means a session/night of drinking alcohol, not pissing on each other.
Such a majestic range of slang we have.